Jacobs Media: The Beginning Of The End For Radio Traffic Reports?

November 17, 2015 at 4:56 AM (PT)

In a recent JacoBLOG post, the folks at JACOBS MEDIA ask, is this the beginning of the end for radio traffic reports? "The ways in which consumers access entertainment and information while they drive is the foundation of our DASH CONFERENCE. Our recent get-together in DETROIT a couple weeks back featured 18 different keynotes, panels and presentations devoted to the intersection of radio and cars," they wrote. "But of course, the smartphone is a star player in this conversation."

JACOBS continues, "As APPLE and GOOGLE move forward to provide a seamless, familiar dashboard experience, apps have become a powerful content source. And there’s no more striking example of this then in the areas of mapping, traffic and navigation. While OEMs (car manufacturers) continue to glean profits from marketing their in-dash GPS features, consumers are rapidly learning that mobile apps like GOOGLE MAPS and WAZE provide these same services, and with even more real-time traffic conditions. This has impact on what the car makers will ultimately offer, but it also gets right into radio’s grille. For decades, AM and FM stations have capitalized on traffic jams, jack-knifed semis, orange barrels, and other daily commuting gnarliness to provide information that has always attracted mega-sponsorship dollars." Read the full post here.